Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan
In a letter, Kilili informed Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, Senate President Victor Hocog, and Speaker Blas Jonathan Attao that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials are scheduled to discuss the issue with the CNMI administration.
He told them that “there should be enough funding to care for the Marpi Solid Waste facility.” This facility, he said, was supposed to be an example of best practices for the Pacific region when it first opened, but “is certainly stressed by the volume of waste created by multiple typhoons in recent years, and development activities.”
“What was once a project of which the Commonwealth and the Environmental Protection Agency could be proud is clearly not operating as it should,” Kilili said.
The $56 million that he included in U.S. P.L. 116-20 is available to help put the Marpi solid waste facility back on track, he said.
Kilili told the governor and CNMI lawmakers that the U.S. law provides flexibility, so he encourages them to use the funds not only to cover the costs of managing waste generated by Super Typhoon Yutu, but also to address the long-standing needs of Rota and Tinian for sanitary waste facilities that meet modern environmental standards.
“I can assure you that the language of the Relief Act, specifying the $56 million is to be used for ‘necessary expenses related to the consequences of Typhoon Yutu for the hazardous waste financial assistance grants program and for other solid waste management activities’ and kept ‘available until expended,’ was intended to give the Commonwealth both the flexibility and the time to accomplish this larger purpose beyond the immediate need for typhoon debris disposal,” Kilili said.
